“On Tuesday corporate watchdog and activist site, SumOfUs.org, launched a petition demanding that Apple keep the standard sized headphone jack in the iPhone 7,” Jay McGregor writes for Forbes. “The campaign started with a modest goal of 10,000 signatures, with yesterday’s early count at around 3000. But in the last few hours the number of signatures jumped to over 167k at the time of writing and is showing few signs of slowing down. The rapid increase in support isn’t surprising considering the propensity of SumOfUs’ petitions to go viral in a short space of time. Their clever email campaigns often strike the right chord, at an opportune time, and require little more than a few clicks to show support.”
“Back in November, the Japanese blog Macotakara, citing a ‘reliable source’, claimed that the 3.5mm headphone jack would be removed, in favour of wireless headphones and an all-in-one Lightning connector for both connectivity and audio output,” McGregor writes. “And now, the Chinese websites Anzhuo.cn and Wei Feng have added fuel to the fire: citing supply chain news from unamed sources, they have claimed that Apple are removing the 3.5mm port and releasing its own wireless headphones.”
“Electronic waste is fast becoming one of the defining issues of our time, with smartphones already contributing a huge amount to the problem. Binning a long-standing and ubiquitous connector in favour of something proprietary won’t just exacerbate the issue, it will cause a surge,” McGregor reports. “As one of the world’s most popular smartphones, with a user-base in the hundreds of millions, any change to a connection that’s been present since the first iPhone, will force upgraders to buy new accessories and ditch the old stuff.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Idiocy.
SumOfUs.org is basically saying: We demand you retard progress because we’re too stupid to understand technological advancement!!!
Also, there’s such a thing as an adapter; you don’t chuck your current headphones/earbuds, you attach a small adapter. Done.
The standard 3.5mm jack is an anachronism and a design limiter that begs to die.
Death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life’s change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new. – Steve Jobs
We’ve been using wireless Jaybirds for some time now (currently the Jaybird X2 Sport Wireless Bluetooth Headphones). They work perfectly with our Apple Watch and iPhone 6s Plus units.
As we wrote back in June 2014:
Bring. It. On.
Mac users are never wedded to old tech when there’s progress to be made.
Also, another good reason for the Beats buy. If Apple and Beats both change to Lightning headphones, the rest of the world will have to follow.
Of interest: Apple Inc.’s U.S. Patent No. 8,655,004: “Sports monitoring system for headphones, earbuds and/or headsets.”
Apple’s patent abstract: A monitoring system that can be placed proximate to the head or ear of a user is disclosed. According to one embodiment, the monitoring system can be used with headphones, earbuds or headsets. The monitoring system can, for example, be used to monitor user activity, such as during exercise or sporting activities. The positioning of the monitoring system can also facilitate sensing of other user characteristics (e.g., biometric data), such as temperature, perspiration and heart rate. The monitoring system can also be used to control a an electronic device. In one embodiment, the monitoring system facilitates user control of the electronic device using head gestures. More info here.
From your ear to your wrist in the blink of an eye™.
SEE ALSO:
More reports claim Apple has dumped the 3.5mm headphone jack on iPhone 7 – January 5, 2016
Why Apple may axe the 3.5mm headphone jack – June 20, 2014
Apple may be poised to kill off the 3.5mm headphone jack – June 7, 2014
Apple may ditch analog 3.5mm headphone jack for Lightning to make thinner devices – June 6, 2014
Apple introduces MFi specs for Lightning cable headphones, iOS software update to deliver support – June 5, 2014
Apple preps HD audio for iOS 8 plus new Apple In-Ear Headphones and lightning cable – May 13, 2014
Apple patents biometric sensor-packed health monitoring earphones with ‘head gesture’ control – February 18, 2014
Apple paves way for more affordable iOS accessories with lower MFi and Lightning licensing fees – February 7, 2014
Does anyone remember the petition to keep the 3.5″ floppy drives…
Exactly.
They keep making the iPhone thinner, which is difficult to do when you keep thicker connectors (the 30 pin and 3.5mm are both thicker than the Lightning)
Exactly. Look, I’m all for getting rid of the 3.5mm audio jack, but only if Apple supplies Bluetooth earphones with my next iPhone purchase. If they make you buy them separately, no deal. 3.5mm headphones are cheap.
Stick with Android knock offs. They will stay with the old tech for a long time and those of you who are cheap can revel in your cheap poor quality junk. If your finances are that tight, don’t buy the next iPhone.
It’s more about transitioning technology steadily, not simply dumping the old standard in favor of new and shiny. Apple infamously does not transition very well anymore, they just “ship” and expect everyone else to follow them. Sometimes they have better ideas, but they don’t implement them very well (FireWire, Thunderbolt, new Macbook, trashcan Mac Pro). Other times they have really shitty ideas (.Mac/MobileMe, Ping, iPod socks, new Final Cut Pro, trashcan Mac Pro, i’m a bit bitter, can’t you tell…) and no one cares or is disgruntled. But for the most part they have sensible ideas and products that do work. I’m just a very old school Mac user.
But like the MacBook with the single USB-C port, there should have been at least one or two regular USB ports on it. Simply chucking what is touted as “the next great thing” at users and hoping they’ll rally around it without any recourse or compatible accessories, then tell them they’ll need to buy a separate adapter just seems dumb.
A lot of “old tech” is very reliable tech. It’s affordable and convenient for the current world we live in. And sometimes Apple, who should be the staple of ease-of-use and usability, becomes very inconvenient, expensive, and even unreliable because they rushed ahead too quickly into their bright future because the only light they’re seeing is a result of wearing their special Apple branded tunnel vision goggles.
I’m just saying for the richest company on Earth, can’t they at least give you Bluetooth EarPods for your $600 iPhone if they want to scrap what currently works still for most of us without at least selling us on the idea of why we should consider ditching our stupid and wired, yet fairly reliable and affordable earphones?
The 30 pin dock connector was crud! We had lots of boom boxes with 30 pin connectors chip or break at the 30 pin. The Lightning connector has been much more robust (not to mention the size is awesome and the fact you can plug it in either way).
That’s hilarious. I say they demand the new iPhone be able to play 33 1/3 long play records.
I’m waiting for the new Microsoft Tablet with the CD slot on the side!
Boy this feeling of “empowerment of the ignorant” is really going to their heads…
Apple leads where all others follow, allways has and always will.
Kiss my ass johnny come lately, Apple marches to its own drummer get some history and facts you ignorant loud mouth.
If the shoe fits igno…
How would you charge your phone and listen to audio if they get rid of 3.5 mm?
Bluetooth EarPods.
How!! How!! Omg omg. I would just run like my hair was on fire! That would be the end of the world!!
Well, one option is that they include 2 lightning ports (being as the point was to make it thinner, not necessarily to have fewer ports). Another would be a splitter. This really is easily solvable
Via the Lighting connector
That would be annoying if there was only one port. I work in a busy area and listen to music while pounding through my paperwork..and have my phone charging next to me while using wired beats mixr headphones. I hate Bluetooth headphones. My phone drops off wifi when the screen locks..and iTunes uses gobs of cell data. I’m sure that won’t be an issue as I can’t imagine Apple will make you choose the ability to charge or listen.
No FUD claims, MDN? This is very clearly that. My girlfriend told me about this as it was making the rounds on Facebook. She read the petition to me and I couldn’t believe how stupid their rationale was! Apple is leading the way into the future.
I’d also would have liked to be a fly on the wall when Tim Cook read about this petition.
As if Apple has ever been compelled by such tactics.
I’ve been using wireless Bluetooth earbuds and I never want to go back to wired ones again. When Apple ships wireless EarPods with the iPhone 7 and people get used to not having wires, this nonsense will stop. And for those that want audiophile level headphones, a lightning lug will serve you well.
I think they should go to no ports and use induction charging like on Apple Watch. This would make waterproofing easier, especially when they have on-screen TouchID ready, so that the home button could go. Steve Jobs, if still involved, would like no buttons and no ports, I think.
I still need convincing on this one. i have used bluetooth headphones and every time they give me a slight headache. and on top of that you have to charge them…which is just another thing to charge. If the only reason they are getting rid of this is to make the phone thinner, then i am hard pressed to see the benefit. on the other side of this though, i hate running with a cord flinging all about and me accidentally taking the headphones out of the jack.
Let the phone Jack go!!!!
BlueTooth wireless is the better way!!!
I want it thinner. Thin as possible. So yeah get rid of that old geezard and bring in the new stuff.
Wow! How can any company make progress with people around like this? I’m surprised that many people would even care about something so unimportant. I guess I’m too prone to accept change when it comes to computers and electronic devices. After being around gadgets for so many years, I actually expect them to change as new people are being born and not they’re not tied to the past.
Usually I just go through a period of adjustment and eventually forget the older ways. As far as I’m concerned, devices have gotten a lot better over time and I consider them improvements. I know for a fact I won’t miss the older headphone jack. I’ll just use an headphone adapter for a short while mainly for older products I have around the house. A new headphone jack just doesn’t seem like that big a deal to me.
What is missing is the hand crank and rotary dial. We need those back! NOT.
Apple have always taken the bold steps and moved to new technology. Always the same complaints and always proved wrong in the end. If you want to use a standard head jack then use an adapter.
BTW – thanks to MDN I have just had to spend $150 of a new pair of bluetooth headphones. Let’s see if this is finally the set that works. My current pair are have been very robust but they cut off frequently due to poor range.
I’m skeptical that using the Lightning connector is a good idea. The 3.5mm connector is everywhere and is used for many unanticipated applications.
I think it would be better for Apple to make a new connector that serves the new age and then make it a public connector, available for free.
For example, they could make an audio connector similar to the Smart Connector on the iPad Pro. This merely brings out metal nubs to the outside world so it could be waterproof. Use a magnet in the connector to attach it to the device. The presence of the magnet tells the device to turn on the signals so there is no signal when it is not in use. As with the Lightning Connector this device could have pins that are configurable. The iPhone would negotiate with a newly attached device to see if it wants analog or digital signals or whether it includes a microphone or volume controls and such. This would accommodate existing analog devices with a small, inexpensive adapter.
Make my next iPhone waterproof, not water-resistant.
If they’re doing it just to make it thinner then I don’t see the point. If they’re doing it to make it waterproof or make space for more battery, or some actual tangible/useful feature then I’ve no problem. I have some Bluetooth earbuds, but I also have some wired ones, but I got sick of having to deal with wires inside my coat and then having to disconnect them if I then wanted to take my phone out of my pocket, so I spent £10-15 on a bluetooth receiver which basically converts and 3.55mm device into bluetooth. It may not be audiophile quality, but it’s pretty good and way more convenient.
The existing accessories using the 3.5mm headphone jack are not “ditched” into the garbage. There will still be hundreds of millions of people using the iPhone 6s and older versions that can use those accessories. The people purchasing the iPhone 7 will sell or gift these items to people with compatible devices. They will not be thrown into the garbage (hopefully recycled!) any earlier than otherwise. The biggest impact is that vendors will start significantly discounting accessories using the 3.5mm headphone jack (just as happened with the transition from the 30-pin dock connector to lightning).
I do not have a strong preference on this issue. I am not tightly attached to the 3.5mm headphone jack (remember when stereo headphones used a 1/4″ jack!). If Apple can improve things with this transition, then great.
My ego does not live or die by the vote. But i am interested in feedback when people disagree with me. Anyone care to reply?
I call BS on the MDN take. Exactly how does changing the connector cause “progress”? The existing mini-jack is inexpensive, robust and supported across the industry. Earbuds don’t require additional power. Bluetooth earbuds sound like crap. The Bluetooth protocol causes the audio to be transcoded at a low bitrate just to get it over the air. It’s a non-starter. Besides, why shrink the battery on the phone just to require yet another charger for the earbuds?
I don’t listen to rock. I don’t listen to hip-hop. I wouldn’t know Taylor Swift if she backed into my car. I listen to high-quality jazz and classical. For that, decent buds are needed–something like Shures.
I’m pretty convinced that there are few people at Apple who still have functioning ears. I’ll believe this is really about progress when they license a new connector to earphone companies at no charge.
I had a custom earphone device made for my ears since I have terrible hearing and to lose that capability of plugging in will kill me. That is the only way I can hear music on my phone when Im in the yard.
The bass when listening to music is not the same with Bluetooth earphones. I love my earbuds.
I had a petition to stop this shoved into my email box by one of the loony leftist groups on the net. I UNSUBSCRIBED. 😛 😛 😛
– It’s only a rumor.
– Even if it were true, why is a loony left group going maniacal about it when there are DIRE problems going on right now, and that isn’t remotely one of them.
– If this rumor is true, count on Apple doing it for a great reason. The ‘waterproof’ rumor would be one great reason.
Seriously, ‘progressives’. You shoot yourselves in the head when you pull this stupid stuff. I support a lot of ‘progressive’ causes. But not stupid.
Why does it always have to be a “loony leftist group”? Biased much, DC?
Oh no. No bias here at all. Read what I wrote.
This was a group that had some useful petitions in the past that I agreed to and signed. But there is a point where anyone can GO TOO FAR. I don’t care what end of the one dimensional political spectrum you’re on. If you’re crazy, you’re crazy. That’s what I pointed out.
I can’t wait to be offered a pair of rose gold ear buds or a pair of bluetooth wireless ear muffs joined by a strip of “Hermes” designed leather at $1100; and for the plebs, a pair of $100 wireless Beats Headphones – well, Apple has got to do something with all that unwanted junk.
Remember that all new iPhones come with a new pair of earbuds. It will all work out of the box. And i’ll bet that new power adaptor will come with a way to plug in your earphones.
That would require another adapter bit of junk to carry.
If it has enough power to last a weekend then it will need to be fat enough to have a 3.5mm socket
Changing the headphone socket is a drag, but no where near as bad as going from Mag Safe charger connections to the C connector… This will definitely have me taking a second look at other brands of laptops….and then maybe phones…